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Topic: Swarm traps (Read 7823 times)

Hi folksDoes anybody here in Oz use swarm traps?. I've never heard of anybody setting up traps for a random swarm. I've only heard of catching swarms by the usual call from distressed members of the public down here in Tassie.taz

G'day Taz, I was going to build some this year but the pleas of distressed hosts to swarms meant I didn't have to go to that trouble. I was talking to a chap the other day who had his hive die out a year ago and he left it on his roof were it had been only to find 6 months later that he had a hive of bees again.

I try and keep some old buggered brood combs in an old empty hive somewhere up high on the off chance a swarm decides to move in. At a recent bee field day I saw some kind of pheromone for sale which I'd heard about but not seen before - it's supposed to be highly attractive to swarms, but I have never used it and didn't note who the supplier was sorry.

My best swarm traps are my mandarin and macadamia trees.. between them they have caught 5 swarms this year mostly from my own hives :-D a couple small enough to make into nucs until I decide if I should combine them

I caught a doz swarms this year with 12 traps. I made a few 3 frame traps this past year out of 3/4 inch pine ends and 1/4 luan tops, bottoms and sides. They are very light. I put 3 old black frames in them and a shot of lemon grass and set them from ground level to about shoulder level. Hate ladders. I place them in shade at field edges. They start drawing scouts within hours of placeing and usually make catches within a week.

Dan, well, isn't that just cool!!! You must live in a very swarmy area. Only seen a swarm around my area twice, and I caught them, smiling. Not that I see everything, but I just don't think that there are that many hives around my area. I did catch one this summer with a friend, but I don't think the queen lived, that hive wound up being queenless, sigh. Have a beautiful, most awesome day, with health. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

Hi folksDoes anybody here in Oz use swarm traps?. I've never heard of anybody setting up traps for a random swarm. I've only heard of catching swarms by the usual call from distressed members of the public down here in Tassie.taz

taz,

I put my name on a swarm listing but have heard nothing in about 2 months so I am also very keen to set some bait hives, just not sure the best way to go about it yet, although from what I have read, use a chunk of old dark comb, and some lemongrass oil.Another project to add to my ever expanding list......

My best swarm trap is my macadamia tree, 2nd best is my mandarin tree.. between them they have caught 5 swarms this season.. all from my own hives :-D

Mick

Thats a good number of swarms in one area so why not just put bait hives in those trees. Small boxes with a few old frames in them. Let them come to you. No climbing! No cutting branches to get under them. Not even a bee suit to catch them. When you see a steady stream of bee's coming and going from your trap just show up in the morning before they start flying, screen the enterance and take them home. Before taking the trap down I like to give them a few days in the trap so the queen will start laying and you got them. Just open the trap at the new location pop the frames from the trap in a brood box with enough frames to fill it.

A question for anyone that has/does use bait hives/swarm traps.I have read that many people use lemongrass oil - but how is this put in the hive? ie what is the delivery system?I would think it would need to be put onto something that absorbs the oil, but doesn't have a huge surface area so that it doesn't evaporate too quickly.

There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

a question for anyone that has/does use bait hives/swarm traps.I have read that many people use lemongrass oil - but how is this put in the hive? ie what is the delivery system?I would think it would need to be put onto something that absorbs the oil, but doesn't have a huge surface area so that it doesn't evaporate too quickly.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks

ML

For a deli. system I use a couple of methods. Being a K9 trapper for the last 30+ years, year ago I picked up a large box of small plastic vials with caps. They are about 1 1/2 inch long. I put a squirt of oil in them, they push a cotton ball in. All I do is uncap and drop thought the entrance. I have used just plain cotton balls and in a pinch just a pc of cloth. I also give the trap a squirt on the front by the entrance

For a deli. system I use a couple of methods. Being a K9 trapper for the last 30+ years, year ago I picked up a large box of small plastic vials with caps. They are about 1 1/2 inch long. I put a squirt of oil in them, they push a cotton ball in. All I do is uncap and drop thought the entrance. I have used just plain cotton balls and in a pinch just a pc of cloth. I also give the trap a squirt on the front by the entrance

For a deli??

Thanks for that Danno, I already have some plastic test tubes for my yeast culturing from my other hobby of brewing, so I will give it a try.You say just a squirt - is that a couple of drops of essential oil or a full 1mL (30th of an ounce) ?Thanks

For a deli. system I use a couple of methods. Being a K9 trapper for the last 30+ years, year ago I picked up a large box of small plastic vials with caps. They are about 1 1/2 inch long. I put a squirt of oil in them, they push a cotton ball in. All I do is uncap and drop thought the entrance. I have used just plain cotton balls and in a pinch just a pc of cloth. I also give the trap a squirt on the front by the entrance

For a deli??

Thanks for that Danno, I already have some plastic test tubes for my yeast culturing from my other hobby of brewing, so I will give it a try.You say just a squirt - is that a couple of drops of essential oil or a full 1mL (30th of an ounce) ?Thanks

ML

I dont fill the vials but do put more that just a couple of drops in them. Its very strong smelling stuff and the bee's sniffers are way better that mine. The vials may be unnecessary because the bee's seem to find the traps fast but I want to know that they are putting out sent for a couple of weeks if needed.